Drew Dober all the time needs the prospect to struggle to the end, so he undoubtedly had no drawback with how referee Mike Beltran dealt with his loss at UFC Mexico this previous Saturday.
The ultimate sequence within the co-main occasion noticed Dober get tagged by a punch from Manuel Torres earlier than dropping to the bottom the place Dober instantly latched onto a leg to aim a takedown whereas he recovered. Torres adopted up with a barrage of hammer fists to the aspect of the pinnacle earlier than Beltran lastly ended the struggle at 1:45 within the opening spherical.
A cut up second after the stoppage, Dober was up once more and nonetheless attempting to proceed. Whereas the vast majority of the criticism in regards to the finish of the struggle got here again on Beltran for permitting Dober to soak up approach an excessive amount of harm, there was additionally some confusion in regards to the timing as a result of the 36-year-old veteran returned to his ft so rapidly.
“I by no means went forwards and backwards. It was a very good stoppage,” Dober instructed MMA Combating in regards to the struggle. “That first or second hammer fist was the one which type of put me in one other dimension. However my physique’s simply prepared to struggle I suppose. My physique is simply able to go. So it’s just like the lights had been on however no one was residence.
“The rationale I used to be hanging onto his leg is as a result of I used to be not there. It was a very good stoppage. My willingness to struggle simply transcends my thoughts.”
Because the struggle ended, Dober has gone again to observe his efficiency a number of instances and he can really pinpoint precisely when he was executed, though along with his head down on the mat it was harder to inform within the warmth of the second.
“In the event you watch, technically once you need to end the takedown, you need your grip above your opponent’s knee,” Dober defined. “I used to be taking pictures for a takedown and after the primary or second hammer fist, you see my grip simply drop under his knee to love a low single. I don’t ever do this takedown in order that was not a productive motion.
“So if you wish to rewatch that movie, the second my grip goes under his knee, that was when the struggle ought to have been stopped.”
Contemplating Dober ate a number of extra hammer fists in succession after he was already executed, does he maintain any sick will in direction of Beltran for a late stoppage?
“For my well being, I feel it may have been stopped earlier however I don’t forged blame on the referee as a result of he’s attempting to do his job,” Dober stated. “He instructed me within the locker room that he is aware of the best way I struggle. He is aware of the harm I can take. He’s going to present me each alternative to enhance my place.
“Actually the particular person guilty for the later stoppage is the truth that my physique simply stored combating no matter my thoughts being absent. I don’t forged any blame. Everybody was doing their job, even Manuel Torres. Sadly, it simply it what it’s.”
Whereas the protection of the fighters is paramount relating to a referee’s determination to cease a struggle or permitting the motion to proceed, Dober admits he prefers officers give him each potential alternative to outlive.
There was no coming again with what occurred at UFC Mexico, however Dober appreciates that his sturdiness often offers him the prospect to climate the storm after which return hearth on his opponents.
“I selected an unlucky profession for my well being,” Dober stated. “It’s simply type of like we’re not going to have excellent careers in MMA. We’re going to take a punch and we’ve received to get well from it. I feel refs ought to lean extra on take a step again and let the professionals do their work.”
A lot of the dialog after the struggle centered across the stoppage. For Dober, he nonetheless has to lament the truth that he suffered a 3rd straight loss within the UFC.
What maybe stings much more is that Dober didn’t get to indicate off all of the arduous work he did getting ready for the struggle as a result of his evening was over inside two minutes.
“I hate the truth that I solely gave like a minute and 30 seconds of a struggle however I needed to see the place did I’m going mistaken,” Dober stated. “I watched the struggle a number of instances and honestly, I used to be doing all the pieces I wanted to do. I labored on my enhancements, my sport plan, my movement, my feints, I used to be working him up in opposition to the fence, I used to be taking possibilities, all the pieces was able for it to be one hell of a struggle and the opposite facet is there’s just a little little bit of luck concerned. He dedicated to the 1-2 off that fence and he discovered the mark on it. Utterly coherent on the knockdown. We’re all fighters. We get punched within the mouth. There’s no such factor as an ideal struggle.
“I fell on my butt, I shot for that takedown to type of get that struggle going and it was that first or second hammer fist that landed on the aspect of my head that type of put it away. What I received from it, I nonetheless have it, I’m nonetheless gifted, I’m longing for the following one however Manuel Torres, he nailed the bullseye.”
Again residence and resting, Dober all the time takes his long-term well being significantly so he’s not going to hurry again into the fray once more with out making certain that he’s one hundred pc able to go.
Dober revealed plans to satisfy with medical doctors this week to get checked out as a result of regardless that he feels completely advantageous, he’s not taking any possibilities relating to his mind and the harm executed from a knockout. Ideally, Dober hopes to struggle once more someplace round August or September pending the all clear from his physicians.
“I’m not going to be a Dagestan wrestler. I do know once I struggle, I’m going to get punched within the head,” Dober stated. “It’s simply type of like what occurs in my combating model. So I must guarantee that my head is high quality and capable of take the punishment. So I’ll take break day. I’m about to see a neurologist on Friday in regards to the standing of my head. I’m carrying these blue-light glasses. I simply received executed doing a hyperbaric chamber. I’m doing all the pieces I probably can to guarantee that my mind heals appropriately and correctly earlier than I get again within the body.
“So far as my well being goes, I really feel advantageous. We’re simply going to attempt to guarantee that we don’t do anymore extra harm in coaching.”
